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Another Larry 2.0 fail

Posted by Zoom! on October 14, 2010, at 10:54 am |

One of my pet peeves is automated telephone advertising. A machine calls my telephone and leaves a lengthy recording advertising something at me. I’ve had five calls recently from some recording saying a new newspaper is starting up here in Ottawa, and I should call soon to reserve my very own paper route. If I hang up on it, it goes to message and I have to listen to it again later in order to delete it.

This morning I heard that a number of people in Ottawa received this kind of call from the Larry O’Brien campaign last night. Not only that, but Larry’s bragging about it this morning like it’s a good thing – an exercise in participatory democracy – by calling it a “Tele-Town Hall meeting.” He says 13,000 people “participated” in it last night. (See David Reevely’s post about that.)

How sleazy and deceptive.

You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.

Have you all decided who to vote for yet? I’m still undecided, but I’ve narrowed it down to Charlie Taylor, Clive Doucet or Jim Watson. I’m leaning towards Watson because I think it’s essential we get rid of Mayor Larry. (I have a friend who says the problem with democracy is that we always vote against what we hate instead of for what we want. She’s got a point.) For councilor, here in River Ward, I’m voting for Nadia Willard. (Yesterday I delivered flyers for Julia Ringma in College Ward.)

10 comments to Another Larry 2.0 fail

I am with you on getting rid of O’Brien by voting for Watson, but I would really rather vote for Taylor. However, I think that my disgust with O’Brien will win out in the end.
In Capital ward, I am undecided between Eugene Haslam (owner of Zaphod Beeblebrox) and Bob Brocklebank (a community activist involved in the ward).
I am happy with the wide range of ideas being proposed in the various candidate platforms. There is plenty of choice out there. I feel strongly that it is time to clean house and get some new/better blood at City Hall. It would be nice to see the city evolve into a place that all residents would enjoy living in. Finally, GET OUT AND VOTE!

My spouse and I were appalled at that outrageous example of push-polling – and by the fact that they did not advertise the fact they were calling on behalf of the O’Brien campaign!

We are cancelling each other’s votes for the first time in 20 years. I am voting for Watson because I can’t bear another term of Larry O. My spouse is voting for Doucet because Clive is on the side of the angels (he just can’t win). There are good arguments to be made on both sides – although this will be the first time in my life that I am holding my nose and voting strategically.

The ones I hate are the telemarketers that use automatic dialers, so when you pick up there is dead air for the first 30 seconds or so until they realize someone has actually picked up the phone. If you’re trying to sell me something, you should actually be there when I answer!

I have to read your blog to find out you’ve been delivering flyers for me!? And so close to your birthday too! So, many many thanks and happy birthday.

As for the spam calls, I have hired a researcher/pollster who has a call centre to make some targeted GOTV calls for me the day before the election. He uses live people who don’t autodial (or so I understand). They have a script that just asks the call-ee if they plan to support me. I surely hope it won’t be annoying. In fact, that’s why I’m not knocking on doors while I’m out getting my flyers distributed, so I won’t be annoying. But I have to get my name out somehow. He is targeting people based on data he has collected for years in the area. If I was famous, I wouldn’t need to do this. But I don’t think I can get famous in the next 10 days.

Yup, all the lipstick in the world won`t make you a beauty queen, or even a beauty pig, Mr. O`Brien. To say that your term as `mayor`was disastrous was almost an understatement.
I`m all for anyone but Larry. It`s a good thing OBrien`s telemarketing call didn`t reach me! Jim, I`m all yours, to do with as you wish.

If you use the automated voicemail, one can always press 33 to skip to the end of the message and delete it.
(11 – back to the beginning
1 – a bit backwards
3 – a bit forward)
Yes those messages are awful!